This recipe for mussels marinara is easy, quick and full of fresh flavors! Fresh mussels are gently simmered in a simple and flavorful marinara sauce with garlic, white wine and basil. And don't forget the crusty bread to sop up the delicious marinara sauce!
Mussels marinara is a simple Italian American recipe that is cooked in nearly 20 minutes. The longest part of the recipe is cleaning the mussels, which will be explained further in this post.
The cleaned mussels are then simmered in a simple marinara sauce with garlic and basil and cooked until the mussels just open up. Then grab some crusty bread (or roasted garlic and herb focaccia) and dig into the flavorful marinara sauce!
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A Little Story
Each year on my birthday (which is Halloween!), I have one request. To cook a bunch of fresh mussels in marinara sauce. I grab the crusty bread and happily dip it into the flavorful marinara sauce with a scoop of sauce in the mussel shell and there is nothing better!
Mussels marinara is childhood favorite of mine. As kids, my cousins, grandparents aunt and uncle would frequent a New Jersey restaurant called Ilvento's, which is no longer around. We would order bowls of mussels marinara and happily dig in until the bowl was empty. And now as an adult, I make my own mussels marinara recipe each year on my birthday (and sometimes more often too!)
🥫 Ingredients
- Mussels: Look for fresh mussels without any cracks in the shell. Mussels should be cooked the same day they are bought and always kept cold. More on how to clean mussels below.
- Olive Oil: This will be used to saute the chopped garlic.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves that are finely chopped or sliced. When buying garlic, look for tight packed cloves and cloves without any green stems growing out of the cloves.
- White Wine: A touch of white wine brings a layer of acidity to the recipe. Use a lighter style such as Pinot Grigio.
- Crushed Tomatoes: Use crushed canned tomatoes or passata, which are strained tomatoes.
- Fresh Basil: A few fresh basil leaves are added to the simple marinara sauce, with some for garnish too.
- Red Pepper Flakes: This is optional, but if you prefer a bit more heat and spice, add pinch of red pepper flakes, as garnish.
💦 How to Clean Mussels
It takes longer the clean mussels than it is to cook with them, but it will be worth it! Here is a simple step by step on how to clean mussels before cooking.
- Once you bring home the mussels from the store, remove them from the bag and place the mussels on top of ice in a large bowl and keep them cold in the refrigerator.
- When ready to cook, use a soft bristle brush and scrub each mussel under cold water.
- Each mussel has a “beard”, which is how the mussel holds onto rocks in the water and needs to be removed before cooking. Use a towel and pull off each beard.
- Place the cleaned mussels in ice cold water until ready to cook.
- Discard any mussels with cracked or broken shells and mussels that don’t open/close when tapped gently.
📍How to Make Mussels Marinara
Mussels cook in less than 10 minutes, which makes this recipe a perfect weeknight meal or appetizer!
- Bring a medium sized skillet to medium heat and drizzle with olive oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add the chopped garlic and saute until fragrant.
- Pour in white wine and let that reduce for 30 seconds.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and fresh basil leaves and season with salt and pepper. Give the sauce a good stir and simmer for 10 minutes so all the flavors come together.
- Remove the cleaned mussels from the cold water and add them into the sauce and give them a gentle stir.
- Place a lid on the skillet and cook until the mussels just open up, about 6-7 minutes.
- Once done, transfer the mussels marinara to a large serving bowl and garnish with fresh basil and red pepper flakes.
Recipe Tips
- When soaking the mussels in water, add a ½ teaspoon of flour or salt to the water. This will help the mussels spit out any sand or debris.
- Discard any broken or cracked mussel shells.
- Mussels are best cooked and eaten on the same day they are purchased.
🍝 Variations and Substitutions
- Add cooked linguine to the mussels marinara for a main course option.
- Add a teaspoon of chopped Calabrian peppers to the marinara sauce for a spicier flavor.
- Instead of mussels, use the same recipe with clams.
Mussels cook very quickly and in about 6-7 minutes. Cook the mussels until they just open up and discard any mussels that don't open after cooking.
Yes its very important to clean the mussels before cooking. Mussels can hold sand and other debris in the shells and the outside of the shell can have rocks and other debris. Take the time to rinse, scrub and remove the beards from each mussel.
More Seafood Recipes to Try
- Coconut Curry Mussels
- Steamed Clams with White Wine and Garlic
- Shrimp Scampi with White Wine and Parmesan
- Spanish Garlic Shrimp with Paprika
Mussels Marinara with Garlic and Basil
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds mussels
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- ¼ cup white wine such as Pinot Grigio
- 14 ounce can of crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
- 4-5 fresh basil leaves + more for garnish
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- Red pepper flakes optional for garnish
- Toasted bread for serving
Instructions
- Keep the cleaned mussels soaked in ice cold before until ready to cook.
- Bring a medium sized skillet to medium heat and drizzle with olive oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add the chopped garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in the white wine and let that reduce for 30 seconds.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and fresh basil leaves and season with salt and pepper. Give the sauce a good stir and simmer for 10 minutes so all the flavors can come together.
- Remove the cleaned mussels from the cold water and add them into the sauce and give them a gentle stir, so the sauce begins to coat the mussels.
- Place a lid on the skillet and cook until the mussels just open up, about 6-7 minutes.
- Once done, transfer the mussels marinara to a large serving bowl and garnish with fresh basil and red pepper flakes and serve with roasted bread.
Video
Notes
- Mussels are best enjoyed the same day they are purchased.
- Do not reheat mussels, plan on purchasing, cleaning and cooking on the same day.
- Mussels have a lot of water in them, so don't add any more water to the sauce. The sauce will loosen up once the mussels are simmering.
- Discard any broken or cracked shells.
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